About us

Voilah! French Festival Singapore is now firmly anchored in the Singaporean landscape, and is recognized to promote French creativity and innovation in culture, science, arts and gastronomy.

“France imagines, France innovates” is what we wish to show and share with the Singapore public during the 2017 edition of the Festival: from an exhibition on the world of the famous video game Assassin’s Creed, to a Hackathon for virtual reality movies and a symposium on the urban mutations, these are images of a high-tech France that we wish to put forward in Singapore.

We would like to extend our thanks to all our Singaporean partners, institutions, cultural and scientific centres, whose invaluable support made it possible for us to build a curated programme of more than 40 various events.

This year, we are happy to welcome the Paris Region as our main partner. It will be the occasion to promote this part of France, its richness of culture and art, which is the root of its identity, as well as its avant-garde architecture and its new high-tech incubators through the various events during these six weeks of festivity.

Voilah! will not exist without the support of our sponsors, I would therefore like to warmly thank each and every one of them for their trust and dedication to make Voilah! every year The main rendez-vous of the French culture in Singapore.

It is a pleasure for me to invite you to discover this programme. Enjoy Voilah! 2017, enjoy French innovation and imagination!

MS Grace Fu

Minister for Culture

Community and Youth

Singapore and France share a strong and long-standing friendship underscored by warm exchanges across diverse areas of interest, from the arts, film, technology to our shared love for food. This multi-faceted relationship has opened up various opportunities for collaboration, which has in turn catalysed a better understanding and appreciation of each other’s unique cultures.

In 2016, we enjoyed a veritable feast of French creativity in the French Film Festival, Voilah! Food Festival and major exhibitions, such as Christianity in Asia at our Asian Civilisations Museum and Reframing Modernism at National Gallery Singapore. These platforms featuring French artists and institutions have added to the vibrancy of Singapore’s cultural landscape, and cultivated a greater appreciation of the value of historical and contemporary culture.

The Voilah! French Festival Singapore has now become a much-anticipated event on our cultural calendar. Voilah! 2016, in particular, showcased a myriad of French cultural offerings at community spaces and the heartlands, in addition to our arts and heritage institutions. This created opportunities for more Singaporeans to enjoy and be inspired by French artistry.

With Voilah! 2017 festivities in full swing, more Singaporeans can continue to discover and relish in the creativity and innovation of the French in culture, science and gastronomy. I am certain it will spark new conversations, fuel exchanges, but most of all, enlarge the space for shared understanding of each other’s cultural diversity, and encourage friendships to flourish.

I congratulate and thank lnstitut Franc;ais Singapour, the French Embassy in Singapore and their partners for their efforts, and wish the Voilah! French Festival Singapore every success.

MRS Valérie Pécresse

President of the regional council

for the Paris Region

For many people, the word ‘culture’ is synonymous with the Paris Region in the hearts of not only French nationals, but also international visitors: the very mention opens up an entire world of possibilities. A world that has evolved from our history, our heritage and our lifestyle, all of which are envied worldwide. Our region has so many outstanding artists, creatives, designers, companies, museums and festivals.

Art and culture are more vibrant in the Paris Region than anywhere else, which means that everyone, regardless of age and personal preference, can experience the same level of excitement and enjoyment. As the world’s favourite tourist destination, the Paris Region is also Europe’s largest urban cultural centre.

Our entire region is packed with cultural centres, theatres, chateaux such as Fontainebleau and Ecouen, the cathedrals of Paris and Saint-Denis, and so many other cultural gems that deserve to be more widely known. Culture exerts a powerful appeal, and provides us with an opportunity to gather here and enjoy it together.